Cheap Weddings in Scotland

Cyndi BassUpdated March 23, 2017

Many brides and grooms choose to have their wedding in Scotland because of the rich history and magnificent scenery. A wedding ceremony can be held at a restaurant, the beach, in the Highlands, a lighthouse, a castle garden or in a castle. It is possible to have a cheap wedding in Scotland complete with bagpipes, kilts, and the splendour of the Scottish countryside. Scotland laws allow couples to get married anywhere and civil weddings are no longer restricted to registry offices.

Castles, Church Ruins and Abbeys

In addition to numerous small local churches in Scotland, couples may opt to be married in church ruins, castles or abbeys. The ruins of Dryburgh Abbey are secluded on the banks of the Tweed, a beautiful location for an intimate wedding ceremony. Other abbeys include the Holyrood, Stonehaven and Arbroath. For a storybook castle wedding, brides have the option of historic buildings such as the Dunnottar, Edinburgh, Stirling, Elgin, Urguhart or Eilean Donan Castles. The Old Church of Urguhart offers romantic ceremonies under an old beech tree.

Public Parks, Gardens and Beaches

Historic landmarks, public beaches, gardens and parks are often a good choice for a cheap wedding in Scotland. In Aberdeen, there is the Winter Gardens, in Duthie Park, one of the largest covered gardens in Europe, which contains a wide variety of plants and flowers among pools of goldfish. The Inverewe Garden in the Highlands, near Wester Ross offers over 100 acres of enchanting gardens with exotic flowers and plants from all over the world. The Harmony Garden in Melrose is surrounded by huge walls and trees and comes with an aura of romance. Couples can choose to have their wedding on the sandy beach at Camusdarach in the Scottish Highlands or on the rugged coast beaches at Caisealrag. For small intimate weddings, couples can marry in one of the many lighthouses including the Rua Reidh Lighthouse. When getting married in a public outdoor setting, you may choose to have your reception at a local restaurant or residence to save on the cost of renting chairs and tables.

Park View House Hotel

The Park View House is a Victorian town house in Edinburgh from the 1860s. The hotel specialises in cheap weddings that are elegant and tasteful. The wedding room is large enough for up to 150 guests, has a dance floor, a private bar and a resident disc jockey to provide entertainment at the reception. The couple can choose a buffet style meal to save money or opt for a sit-down meal.

Park View House Hotel

4 Hermitage Place

Edinburgh Leith links

EH6 8AF

0131-554-6206

parkviewhousehotel.co.uk

Loch Leven Hotel

The Loch Leven is a stone building that was constructed in the 17th century and complements the Highland backgrounds. The natural beauty of the land has been featured in many movies. The Loch-side setting has views of mountains for a romantic Scottish wedding. Civil wedding ceremonies can be held in the Victorian breakfast room or in the Loch View restaurant, which has direct access to the gardens. Couples that have a minister performing the wedding may choose any location in the hotel or on the grounds for the ceremony. For a private location, the couple should choose to have the wedding in the Victorian breakfast room as the restaurant and grounds are accessible by the public. Weddings are limited to 50 guests and to save money the hotel works with local wedding suppliers. The cost per-person is considerably less than other hotels of the same calibre.

Loch Leven Hotel

Onich

By Fort William, Inverness-shire,

PH33 6SA Scotland

44-0-1855 821236

lochlevenhotel.co.uk

The Retreat Castle Hotel

The Scottish baronial Retreat Castle, in Edinburgh, can handle all the details of a cheap wedding. They cater to the bride and contract with several local wedding suppliers for wedding cakes, photographers, limousines, flowers and entertainment. The bride also has the option of providing her own, but using the castle's suppliers may cost less because they likely get discounted rates. The facilities are for up to 65 guests. The hotel can cater a buffet menu or a four-course meal. Frugal brides will want to choose the buffet, which costs 50 to 75 per cent less. Wedding ceremonies can be held in the small private chapel that seats 40, or in the gardens among water fountains. During the summer months, a flurry of peacocks roam the grounds.

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About the Author

Cyndi Bass has been writing professionally since 2000. She specializes in writing about self-help, weight loss, health, credit, families, parenting and government assistance programs. Her experience includes ghostwriting for numerous websites, blogs and newsletters. She has worked in social services in the credit industry and she holds a human service certificate from the University of California at Davis.